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WATERSHED TRENDS

LAND USE

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WATER USE

Multiple sources of data for this Water Management Plan (WMP) were used to determine historic and future estimated water use within the watersheds. The following publications were used for determining historic, current, and estimated future water uses in the CPYRW:

• 
  the GSA’s Use of Water in Alabama, published every five years from 1970-1990,
  
• 
  the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) publication Water Use in Alabama,1995,
  
• 
  the 2002 Municipal and Industrial Water Demand Forecasts report prepared for the CPYRWMA by the USACE,
  
• 
  the 2008 Agricultural Water Demand report prepared by the USDA NRCS, and
  
• 
  the 2009 Estimated Use of Water in Alabama in 2005, published by the USGS and ADECA OWR.
  

Table 11 shows the estimated water use for 1970 through 2005. Estimated total water use, not including water consumed for power generation, within the ten-county area for 1970 was 36.84 million gallons per day (mgd), with groundwater and surface-water uses accounting for 27.29 mgd and 9.55 mgd, respectively. In 2005, estimated water use, not including water for power generation was 154.63 mgd, with groundwater and surface-water uses accounting for 84.24 mgd and 70.40 mgd, respectively (fig. 17). Increased estimated water use was 86.43% for surface-water and 67.60% for groundwater from 1970 through 2005) (fig. 18).

Since 1970, Houston County has shown the largest water usage in the watershed, while Bullock County has shown the smallest water usage since 1980 (table 12). In 2005, Houston County had the largest estimated water use at 37.24 mgd, with groundwater and surface-water uses accounting for 22.32 mgd and 14.93 mgd, respectively, whereas Bullock County had the smallest estimated water use at 3.96 mgd, with groundwater and surface-water uses accounting for 2.59 mgd and 1.37 mgd, respectively (table 12).

Water use for the CPYRW can also be analyzed according to watersheds and water use categories for 2005 data and 2010 preliminary data (table ?) Table ? shows the groundwater and surface water withdrawals by watershed for use categories including public supply, irrigation, livestock, and industrial. As compared to 2005 water use data, two watersheds (Pea and Lower Choctawhatchee) showed increases in groundwater use, whereas the other two watersheds (Yellow and Upper Choctawhatchee) showed decreases in groundwater use (table ?).

Water use is divided into four categories for the CPYRW: residential, nonresidential, agricultural, and power generation. Residential water usage includes both publically supplied and self-supplied sources for household use (USACE, 2002). Public-supply water use includes all water delivered to household customers via municipal, county, and water authority water systems (USACE, 2002), with groundwater being the sole source of water supply for all residential water in the watersheds (CWP and GSA, 2005). Nonresidential water use includes all commercial, industrial, government, and nonhousehold public water usage (USACE, 2002). Agricultural water use includes self-supplied water for crops, orchards, cultivated sod, nursery, livestock, poultry, and aquaculture (USDA NRCS, 2002). Power uses include water used to generate power, which includes cooling water and hydropower.

Estimated residential water use increased 13% from 23.43 mgd in 1970 to 26.93 mgd in 2005 (fig. 19). Estimated nonresidential groundwater use increased by 95%, from 1.71 mgd in 1970 to 33.98 mgd in 2005, with data for year 2000 taken from USACE estimates. Estimated surface water decreased by 86%, from 3.09 mgd in 1970 to 0.42 mgd in 2005, with a substantial decrease of 90% from 1975 to 1980, which could be attributed to the closure of industrial facilities, such as textile mills (fig. 20). [check figures—inside text boxes look jumbled up]

Groundwater and surface water are both sources for agricultural water uses. However, 75% of the water used for agricultural purposes is from surface water sources (USDA NRCS, 2002). Estimated water used for agricultural purposes has increased significantly (91%) since 1970. In 1970, an estimated 8.6 mgd were used for agricultural purposes, with groundwater and surface water accounting for 2.15 mgd and 6.45 mgd, respectively. In 2005 total estimated use increased to 93.31 mgd, with groundwater and surface water accounting for 23.33 mgd and 69.98 mgd, respectively (fig. 21). The bulk of the estimated agricultural water use in the CPYRW is historically and currently used for irrigation (fig. 21). From 1970 to 2005, the estimated water use for irrigation increased 98% from 1.7 mgd in 1970 to 83.2 mgd in 2005. In 2005, Houston County had the largest estimated water usage for irrigation (19.4 mgd), whereas Bullock County had the smallest (1.6 mgd) (fig. 22). In 1970, estimated water use was 4.8 mgd and 2.1 mgd for livestock and aquaculture, respectively. By 2005, estimated use increased by 21 and 48% to 6.1 mgd and 4.0 mgd. In 2005, Coffee County had the largest estimated water use for livestock (1.0 mgd) and Barbour County had the highest estimated water use for aquaculture (2.1 mgd).

Information regarding water usage for power generation was obtained from publications of the GSA, including Use of Water in Alabama, Information Series (IS) 42 (Peirce, 1972), IS 48 (Mettee, Moser and Dean, 1978), IS 59 (Baker, Gillett and Meng, 1982), IS 59D (Baker and Mooty, 1987), and IS 59E (Baker and Mooty, 1993) for 5-year intervals from 1970 to 1990, from a publication by the USGS Water Use in Alabama, 1995 [REF?], and from ADECA OWR’s Estimated Use of Water in Alabama in 2005 [REF?]. Water usage for power generation was not included in the USACE’s Municipal and Industrial Water Demand Forecasts [REF?]; therefore, no projections are provided for future water consumption from power generation.

Three power plants are located within the ten-county area: a hydroelectric plant in Covington County, a thermoelectric (nuclear) plant in Houston County, and a thermoelectric (fossil fuel) plant in Covington County. Estimated water demand has increased since 1980 for the Farley Nuclear Plant in Houston County, from 71.74 mgd in 1980 to 105.36 mgd in 2005, or an increase of 32%. Similarly, estimated water demand has increased since 1970 for the McWilliams Plant (fossil fuel) in Covington County, from 0.25 mgd in 1970 to 4.30 mgd in 2005, or an increase of 94% (fig. 23). Hydroelectric plants consume almost no water during hydroelectric-power generation and this water use is considered in-stream water use because the majority of the water is returned to the source (Mooty and Richardson, 1998). Covington County has two hydroelectric facilities that are
considered in-stream water users. Estimated in-stream water use has decreased from 1,480 mgd in 1970 to 954.73 mgd in 1995, a decrease of less than 1% (fig. 24).

With available historic and current estimated water usage data, water demand forecasts are prepared to provide estimates for future water usage. Water demand forecasts prepared by the USACE are dependent upon changes in population, housing units, and employment, with forecasts projected for three growth scenarios (low, moderate, and high) for residential and nonresidential use only (USACE, 2002). The USDA NRCS agricultural water use study also included forecasts for future water demand. Therefore, these two data sets were combined to obtain a comprehensive water demand forecast for the CPYRW.

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